Obama Abuses Bravery Of Others For Political Gain

Leadership: If President Obama isn't careful, he might get injured slapping himself on the back for killing Osama bin Laden. Spiking the football in such an obviously political way is conduct unbecoming of a commander in chief.

gjaclThe recent unseemly comments by Obama and his attempt to turn a successful military operation into a campaign stunt show a sad political desperation by our nation's leader.

It's bad enough Obama takes credit for the Navy SEALs' achievement. But this time an Obama campaign video, "One Chance," suggests Mitt Romney wouldn't be man enough to do what Obama did.

Or as the video asks, "Which path would Mitt Romney have taken?" As if there was really any question.

Romney responded to the political cheap shot by urging Obama not to let the killing of bin Laden become a "politically divisive event" — sensible, mature advice.

For the record, IBD strongly supported the operation to take out bin Laden. And we gave the president kudos at the time for letting the operation go forward.

But we're troubled as we mark the first anniversary of SEAL Team 6's successful raid against the world's most infamous terrorist. We should be solemnly remembering bin Laden's thousands of victims — and showing gratitude to the American men and women still fighting in the Mideast to protect us from future terrorist atrocities — not listening to a president's juvenile gloating.

Instead, Obama and his Democratic supporters are taking yet another public victory lap, claiming credit for something the U.S. Navy accomplished.

Democrats counter with, well, what about President Bush's "Mission Accomplished" speech in 2003?

Well, what about it? The banner that said "Mission Accomplished" was requested by the crew aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln.

Bush stood with the crew to celebrate the ship's end of a 10-month deployment to the Mideast and to mark the end of "major combat operations" in Iraq — not the war itself, a fact that Democrats frequently distort.

As Bush himself said that day, "We have difficult work to do in Iraq. We are bringing order to parts of that country that remain dangerous. Our mission continues ... the War on Terror continues."

Sound like "mission accomplished" to you?

By contrast, in the past year Obama has gone back to the bin Laden well repeatedly, using him as a political prop to portray himself as tough in the War on Terror.

Even "Saturday Night Live" poked fun at it in a skit.

But using this for cheap political ends rubs a lot of people the wrong way — especially those in the military.

Retired Adm. Mike Mullen, former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told NBC News: "I do worry a great deal this time of year that somehow this gets spun into election politics." Sorry — too late, admiral.

Meanwhile, Washington Post blogger Jennifer Rubin spoke to a number of former and current SEALs. Most were outraged. Typical was former SEAL sniper Chris Kyle, who called politicizing bin Laden "a cheap shot."

Bin Laden's well-deserved death shouldn't become just another campaign prop. That it has only shows just how undignified and unpresidential the current White House occupant is — and why we need a change.

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